By IRNA,
London : A senior member of Britain’s Conservative Party has recommended the next US president that he offer more incentives to Iran to help resolve the nuclear issue.
William Hague, who is UK’s shadow foreign secretary, wrote in the “Daily Telegraph” on Sunday that while more incentives should be offered to Iran, the next US president should encourage European governments to present more sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
“In the Conservative Party we have long argued that stopping Iran’s nuclear plans will require more carrot from America at the appropriate time, and already requires more stick from the nations of Europe,” he said.
Hague did not elaborate on what more carrots the US should offer to the Islamic Republic but he called on Europeans to impose more financial sanctions on Tehran.
He, however, admitted that major European states have declined Britain’s proposal on adopting a tougher stance regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
“Wide-ranging financial sanctions by the EU and bans on European investment in Iranian oil and gas fields have been proposed by Britain but not agreed in other capitals,” he said, adding that the approach to Iran on both sides of the Atlantic needs an “urgent injection of strength”.
Referring to Iran’s nuclear activities in the recent years, Hague said the country is getting nearer to nuclear capability with “America distracted and Russia truculent”.
Hague further underlined the need for the next US president to take immediate action to overcome the current economic and financial crisis grappling the US and Europe.
“Yet no less important a task for the new president lies in giving urgent attention to a widening range of foreign policy crises on the outcome of which the peace and stability of the world in the next decade may depend,” he said.
Pointing out the peace process in the Middle East, he urged Bush’s successor to encourage a peace treaty between Israel and Syria.
“This is an immensely difficult objective but one that, if achieved, would help to break innumerable deadlocks elsewhere,” he said.